Research in the Olmstead lab focuses on interpreting flowering plant evolution and biogeographic patterns through phylogenetic methods.

The group of plants that comprise our primary research emphasis is the subclass Asteridae, including Lamiales and Solanales, which are common in both temperate and tropical ecosystems and contain many economically important plant families.

Lamiales are one of the most rapidly diversifying large clades of angiosperms and present a complicated pattern of phylogenetic relationships and evolution. We are particularly interested in understanding the patterns of diversification in groups that originated in the Neotropics and have diversified globally.

We are also interested in systematics of plants in western North America. Geologic events and climatic changes have resulted in the rapid diversification of many plant groups here. Our research aims to understand the diversification of those groups and to contribute to improved classification of western North American plants.